This invention pertains generally to organic synthesis and in particularly to the synthesis of derivatives of the inert and unstable perbromic acid.
The alkali metal and ammonium salts of perbromic acids have been prepared. Various attempts have been made without success to prepare esters and other salts of this acid. Attempts to prepare alkyl perbromates by treating alkyl iodides with suspensions of silver perbromate in carbon tetrachloride at 0.degree. C. have not been successful. An immediate reaction takes place, producing elemental iodine but no simple organic compounds.
An attractive method for the synthesis of alkyl perbromates would be the reaction of dibromine heptoxide with alcohols, since the corresponding reaction of dichlorine heptoxide is a convenient source of alkyl perchlorates. Dibromine heptoxide, however, has not been prepared, and attempts to dehydrate aqueous perbromic acid at room temperature results in autocatalytic decomposition after the dihydrate stage. Another possible method would be the reaction of silver perbromate with an alkyl bromide, but silver perbromate has not been prepared. In fact the silver ion has been reported to catalyze the decomposition of 6 M perbromic acid.